Impact on India
How an El Niño year can show up in rain, heat, power demand and prices in India. A forecast is labelled as a forecast.
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- Monsoon 2026 report card: 87% of normal, month by month
The 2026 southwest monsoon is over, and IMD has published its report. Here are the grades.
- South India's 4th-driest monsoon since 1901: what the numbers say
For south India, the 2026 southwest monsoon was one of the weakest on record.
- October to December 2026 outlook: hotter and drier for most of India
The southwest monsoon has ended, but the forecasts for the next three months point the same way: warmer and drier than usual for most of India.
- Northeast monsoon 2026: who may get normal rain and who may not
For much of south India, October to December is the second rainy season. The northeast monsoon brings rain to the southern tip of India as the winds turn around after the southwest monsoon.
- Winter 2026–27: why a warmer winter is a risk, not a relief
A warmer winter might sound pleasant. For India's farms and rivers, experts say it is more of a warning sign.
- Snow drought: how Himalayan snow affects summer river water
"Snow drought" means a winter with much less snow than normal in the mountains. It does not look dramatic, but it shows up months later as lower river flows.
- Summer 2027 heat risk: the ‘decay year’ pattern explained
You might think the danger is over once El Niño fades. For heat in India, the pattern can be the opposite.
- Electricity demand in a hot El Niño year: what the numbers show
Hot weather and weak rain push electricity demand up: more fans and air conditioners in cities, more pumping on farms.
- Food prices and El Niño: what the RBI says is moving and why
When rain fails, food prices are often among the first things people notice. On 7 October 2026, the Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee spelled out how this season is playing out.
- Coastal seas in an El Niño year: marine heatwaves and fishing communities
El Niño does not only affect rain on land. It also warms the seas around India, and that matters for fish, coral and the people who depend on them.